Winds of Destiny
by Syfyfan16
Summary: While Relena Peacecraft and her personal bodyguard, Heero Yuy, are on a diplomatic mission, chaos ensues when they are inexplicably stranded in a galaxy lightyears away from Earth. With no way home, the two are caught in the middle of yet another war. Now they must adapt to this predicament, all while struggling to cope with life on the desert planet, Tatooine. Post Endless Waltz.
1. Chapter 1

_**The Winds of Destiny**_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Mobile Suit Gundam Wing_ or _Star Wars_. This fanfiction was made only for entertainment. All rights go to the respective owners.**

 **Chapter 1: Flight of Shuttle ICARUS**

The year was 197 A.C., (After Colony) one year after the Mariemaia Incident. Mariemaia Barton-Khushreanada, had finally recovered from her injuries and was adopted by Lady Une, the former OZ Space Force Commander, turned Leader of the Preventers, a top-secret organization formed by the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, to prevent conflicts from escalating.

Plus, Colony L3 X-18999 had been rebuilt at last. As such, the gundams and mobile suits were decommissioned. How and why all this happened is a different story.

Regardless, at this very moment, two important figures were approaching a mahogany office door, which was located near the end of the southern corridor.

The first person was a young seventeen-year old girl of Northern European descent, who appeared to be under five feet and three inches tall. Firm skin molded perfectly to her face, while her warm smile captured her unwavering faith to pacifism, but her eyes were a mournful nile-blue, which revealed years of emotional trauma from war, a sense of political charisma, and the determination of a warrior. She had a fairly athletic build, honey-blonde hair, which almost reached her waist, while having a fringe located on the front, and wore a long ice-blue evening gown made of velvet and silk, along with a pearl necklace, two long white satin gloves, a pair of sapphire earrings, a silver wristwatch, and a pair of dainty white pumps.

The second person was a five-foot-two, seventeen-year-old boy of Japanese descent, with a naturally athletic build, and slightly long, dark brown hair, where the bangs stuck out, covering his sharp Prussian-blue eyes. An emotionless expression crossed his facial features, yet one could notice the hidden warmth in his eyes, as they cautiously observed his surroundings for any potential threat. He was clad in a uniform, which consisted of a navy-blue wind breaker style gabardine jacket, lined with navy satin, yellow shoulder pads, a red and gold campaign ribbon with a center hexagonal design on the left side of his chest, along with decorative patches on the upper sleeves, uniform pants made of matching navy-blue gabardine, and black combat boots.

These individuals were the Vice Foreign Minister, Relena Darlian Peacecraft and former pilot of the gundam, Wing Zero, turned personal bodyguard of Relena, Heero Yuy, the "Perfect Soldier."

The two remained relatively silent as they wandered the seemingly endless corridor until they finally reached the door to Lady Une's office. Desperate to break the silence, Relena attempted to start a conversation.

"What do you think Lady Une intends to discuss?" she asked. Heero simply grunted in response.

Realizing the possibility that Heero was just as confused as she was at this moment, Relena silenced herself.

After five minutes, Lady Une finally permitted their entry. After greeting the two, Lady Une ordered them to sit down. Heero and Relena complied, while Lady Une began to explain the situation.

"The Mariemaia Incident has greatly increased tensions between the Earth Sphere Unified Nation and Colony L3 X-18999. To prevent the conflict from escalating, I have decided to send you on a diplomatic mission. In one week, Shuttle ICARUS will be deployed for your journey. Heero Yuy shall accompany you." She announced.

She then pressed a button on top of her walnut desk, thus activating a hidden augmented reality projector, which quickly displayed the holographic image of a blue shuttle covered in armor plating.

Something caught Heero's eye before he abruptly stood.

"With all due respect, Lady Une, I am confused as to why an experimental system would be installed into Relena's vessel, considering the potential danger." he questioned in his usual monotone voice, all while referring to a peculiar design located near the shuttle's turbines.

"Usually traveling to and from the space colonies would require a maximum time span of four days, which could leave Relena vulnerable to assassination attempts. To avoid this problem, fellow Preventer, Duo Maxwell, suggested installing the prototype hyper-drive, Silver-wind Mark I." she elaborated.

"Is the ship armed in any possible way?" Heero questioned, hoping the Preventers would make at least one smart decision.

"No. Shuttle ICARUS is a diplomatic vessel and must abide by Relena's own standards of pacifism to prevent accusations of hypocrisy. However, the shuttle has been equipped with enough armor to withstand rounds from an anti-aircraft assault."

While Heero was slightly relieved, he still feared that if Relena did not allow any weapons, the entire crew would be left defenseless in the event of an assassination attempt. Unfortunately, there was nothing Heero could do, as the decision was final.

"The shuttle is scheduled to depart at eleven-hundred hours, Monday morning. Since the other gundam pilots are currently occupied, I have hired two elite pilots to accompany you on this journey. In the meantime, I suggest that both of you get some rest." she concluded.

Heero and Relena complied and left the office, returning to their respective apartments.

Six days later, Heero and Relena arrived at the spaceport and were ready to meet their crew. Relena was clad in ceremonial garb, representing her fallen country, the Sanc Kingdom, the embroidery of which held golden thread dazzling on the pure white cloth. The shuttle was already prepared for takeoff and the supplies had been loaded.

Unlike most people, Heero was quite unenthusiastic about the journey. Within the past week, he was quite unsuccessful in convincing Relena to allow weaponry, thus increasing the risk of their mission.

As they approached the concrete hanger, Heero noticed two young adults standing next to Lady Une near the entrance. One of them was a twenty-nine-year old woman, who appeared to be six feet tall, with curly brown hair, and brown eyes, while the second person was a thirty-four-year old, six-foot-seven, man with dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes. Heero and Relena stopped in front of Lady Une, who explained the situation to them.

"The launch sequence will start in thirty minutes. I will be putting your comrades in charge of supervision, to ensure that all goes according to the schedule. As such, I would like to introduce you to the crew of Shuttle ICARUS, Sergeant Ellen Weaver and Colonel Lee Austin. These two are among the most skilled pilots trained by the Alliance themselves. Each pilot has been equipped with custom paralyzer pistols, designed by Dr. J himself, at Vice Foreign Minister Darlian's request."

Upon hearing this, a brief smirk became visible on Heero's face, as he became mildly impressed with Relena for taking his advice to a certain degree. However, this left as quickly as it appeared when Heero suddenly felt Colonel Austin's eyes burning into the back of his head. From that point on, Heero knew that working alongside these people was going to be more difficult than he originally thought.

At this point, the shuttle had already reached the outer atmosphere and Colonel Austin was ready to activate the Silver-wind Mark I hyper-drive. However, Heero was still concerned. No matter how hard Heero tried to conceal his emotions, he still feared for Relena's safety.

Knowing this, Heero decided to bring his own supply of weapons, which were carefully stored in a rucksack within his quarters on the shuttle. Having Relena's new shuttle equipped with an untested hyper-drive merely increased his concern. Thus, Heero attempted to warn Colonel Austin.

"Austin, I do not believe activating the hyper-drive would be the smartest idea."

Unfortunately, Austin was too confident.

"Listen up, kid. First off, its Colonel Austin to you. Secondly, if you honestly believe that I would trust a gundam pilot in protecting the Vice Foreign Minister, then you are severely mistaken. I have worked for the alliance for thirteen years. Every badge on this uniform, I earned. As opposed to you; a mere child whose position was handed to him. Either way, I don't trust terrorists. Hell, I never trusted Khushreanada to begin with. If I were in charge of the Preventers, every last one of you would have been stripped of your rank and sentenced to death for every crime you committed. Besides, the hyper-drive was tested in the simulators multiple times. What's the worst that could happen?"

Heero could feel his hands clenching into fists and his eyes burned with anger. Desperate to control himself, Heero left the bridge. He knew very well that arguing with Colonel Austin was pointless. Usually, Heero would never back down from a fight, but he knew that Colonel Austin was not entirely wrong.

Heero could still hear the terrified screams of all the people he killed throughout his young life. Whenever he closed his eyes, such memories would continuously haunt him, forcing him to gaze upon their corpses, which littered the streets, while his own clothing would be stained in warm blood. As the hyper-drive was finally activated, Heero retreated to his quarters. This would be a long trip.

 **Author's note: This is my first fan fiction. Constructive criticism will be appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Winds of Destiny**_

 **Author's Note: I do not own** ** _Star Wars_** **or** ** _Mobile Suit Gundam Wing_** **. My OCs Colonel Austin and Sergeant Weaver are based on Lee Majors from _Six Million Dollar Man_ and Sigourney Weaver from the _Alien_ franchise. All rights go to respective owners.**

 **Chapter 2: _The_ _Calm Before The Storm_**

In Heero's absence, Relena apprehensively paced the solid aluminum flooring. She could not help but overhear Colonel Austin as he severely reprimanded Heero an hour ago. Heero left before she could interfere. However, before Heero left, Relena discerned a look of self-doubt and guilt within his eyes.

Seeing Heero this way deeply saddened her. So much had changed since the Mariemaia Incident. Relena could still remember wrapping her arms around Heero's waist as he collapsed from exhaustion and inner turmoil before they both fell to ground.

As she sat on the metallic floor, Heero's head resting in her arms, Relena had noticed a side of Heero that she always knew existed. Beneath a supposedly emotionless exterior, was a mere child, tormented by the hardships of war, forced to mature from years of training, and full of suppressed emotions waiting to be released.

Upon recovery, Heero became Relena's bodyguard and for that, she was grateful. However, Relena still clung to the possibility that Heero would eventually come to see her as more than a mission. Even so, Relena refused to give up on him. Should that time come, she will be there.

Even so, she already carried the burden of the Peacecraft family fortune and legacy as the only qualified member of the family. While her brother, Miliardo, was originally the heir, he was trained as a soldier following the destruction of the Sanc Kingdom, sixteen years ago, and currently believed too much blood was on his hands. Therefore he could never uphold the Peacecraft way of pacifism. Every day, Relena would struggle to maintain the fragile peace between the ESUN and the Space Colonies.

"Minister Darlian, Is everything alright?"

The sound of Sergeant Weaver's voice briefly startled Relena. She then turned before noticing Weaver's concerned expression.

"Of course, Sergeant Weaver, I am fine."

Relena hoped that Weaver could believe her, but it was quite obvious that for all the talents she possessed, lying was not one of them.

"Miss Relena, we both know that is not true."

Relena sighed in resignation as Weaver narrowed her eyes.

"I have a lot on my mind lately, considering all that has happened. The entire ESUN is depending on me. Not to mention the space colonies. It just feels absurd. After all, I'm only one person."

Sergeant Weaver gave a sympathetic nod.

"I know this must be hard for you. Especially considering the fact that you're only seventeen. However, since the beginning of your career, you have managed to overcome every obstacle. You will overcome this one just as well."

Relena smiled in gratitude as Sergeant Weaver walked back to the control panel. Moments later, she spotted Heero returning to the bridge.

Just before she could approach Heero, the shuttle exited hyperspace. However, instead of a synthetic space colony, Relena gazed upon something completely different. The system spread before her eyes contained planets beyond anything she had studied during her school years, but what surprised Relena even more was the largest vessel she had ever seen. It was approximately the size of five aircraft carriers, and heavily fortified. To make matters worse, Shuttle ICARUS was heading straight for it.

Relena's eyes widened in fear. Through the corner of her eye, she noticed similar expressions amongst the rest of the crew. Even Heero seemed more concerned than usual. Colonel Austin was the first to break the silence.

"I don't understand. How did this happen?" he questioned. Heero rolled his eyes.

"Don't ask me, I'm just as confused as you are." he retorted.

Sergeant Weaver sighed in annoyance before examining a diagnostic layout of the shuttle. Upon examining the main engine, she noticed something rather peculiar.

"It appears that the hyperdrive has been sabotaged."

"That doesn't make any sense. If that were the case, then how is it that we're still alive?" questioned a suspicious Colonel Austin.

"I can't answer that for you. In fact, that's probably a question even the saboteurs themselves can't answer."

Suddenly, Colonel Austin eyed Heero suspiciously.

"Perhaps we could question the saboteur himself."

Heero and Relena of course were not amused in the slightest with Austin's theory.

"What is your problem? First you call Heero a terrorist, and now you're accusing him of sabotage? " Relena argued in frustration.

"I don't have a problem. If this cold blooded killer wasn't on board, none of this would have happened."

Just when Austin was about to say more, a loud whistle interrupted their argument. Weaver had already had enough with this quarreling.

"That's enough! This is not the time to panic and accusing each other will solve nothing. Right now, we are in the middle of foreign territory. Therefore, the best we can do is reactivate the hyperdrive and get home safely."

Austin reached for the hyperdrive controls, reset the coordinates, and pressed the red button, which was supposed to activate the hyperdrive. Unfortunately, nothing happened.

"It appears that the hyperdrive has already exhausted all of its fuel and attempting to incorporate the main engine's fuel would be impossible. In other words, we're stuck here."

Just when the crew thought the situation couldn't get any worse, the radio transmitter began broadcasting an unknown frequency.

"Attention unidentified shuttle, you have entered Imperial territory. Transmit your clearance codes at once or we will open fire! You have sixty seconds to comply."

At that point, the crew feared the worst. The shuttle's armor could only take so much damage. Sergeant Weaver and Colonel Austin quickly turned the shuttle around before speeding off in a futile attempt to escape. Time seemed to slow down as two green bolts of energy pierced the shuttle's stabilizer, before two more shots severely damaged the main engine. The shuttle then plummeted toward the nearest planet.

"Everybody hang on!" Sergeant Weaver exclaimed as the ship became caught in the planet's gravitational field, forcing it downward. It took ten seconds for the shuttle to catch fire upon entry, before it inevitably crashed into mound of sand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Winds of Destiny**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Mobile Suit Gundam Wing_ , _Gundam Wing Endless Waltz_ , or the _Star Wars_ franchise. All rights go to respective owners. Colonel Austin and Sergeant Weaver are based on Lee Majors and Sigourney Weaver in their respective roles, Steve Austin from _Six Million Dollar Man_ , and Ellen Ripley from the _Alien_ franchise.**

 **Chapter 3: _Stranded_**

Particles of sand dispersed in all directions, while debris, shrapnel, and shards of bulletproof glass scattered everywhere. Shuttle ICARUS was in complete disarray. Sergeant Weaver became the first to regain consciousness.

She tried to stand, but felt a lash of pain course through her body. Her heart was pounding as she barely managed to avoid the wreckage before finally locating Colonel Austin's unconscious form. As she prepared to wake him, Austin came too and attempted to move but he couldn't feel his left arm.

"Colonel Austin, are you alright?" Weaver questioned. Austin shook his head.

"My arm is broken." He answered as he barely managed to stand. Weaver sighed in relief.

"You'll live."

"But what about the Vice Foreign Minister?"

Terrified, both Austin and Weaver began searching the remains of Shuttle ICARUS for any sign of Relena or Heero. It wasn't until Colonel Austin spotted a lock of honey-blond hair, which had been buried underneath a pile of rubble. Weaver knew that Austin was in no condition to assist her, so she carefully removed as much rubble as she could from the pile.

What she found at the bottom shocked both Austin and herself. Relena was pinned to the floor with her eyes closed, while Heero's body was sprawled on top of her, shielding Relena from the wreckage.

Unfortunately, this left Heero unconscious with two pieces of shrapnel lodged in his back. Austin was speechless. Since when could a gundam pilot make such an important sacrifice when it didn't involve their gundams?

Up until now, he thought that Heero was a monster with little to no regard for life. Now he didn't know what to think. All this time, Heero seemed far more similar to himself; a young man, lost in the turmoil of war.

Weaver quickly checked both Heero and Relena for a pulse.

"They're alive, but we need to work fast." she explained before searching the wreckage for any salvageable equipment, with Austin following suit. Luckily, they managed to locate Relena's duffle, Heero's rucksack, and a first-aid kit, all of which were surprisingly intact.

Weaver grabbed a roll of bandages from the first-aid kit and wrapped them around Austin's arm, while applying enough pressure to prevent any further blood loss. Then she reached inside of Heero's rucksack before removing an Ontario MK 3 Navy knife, which was encased in a kydex sheath, and a wool emergency blanket. She then cut off part of the blanket, and used it to create a makeshift sling for Austin's arm.

"That should function as a proper substitute for now. Unfortunately, I am unable to properly treat your arm."

Austin simply nodded in agreement.

Then, Weaver removed a pair of tweezers from the first-aid kit and turned to Heero. She carefully removed the shrapnel from Heero's back before removing his jacket and lifting his shirt to apply disinfectant, and bind his wounds with gauze. Afterwards, she replaced the shirt and jacket on Heero.

However, before she could attempt to lift Heero off Relena, Heero suddenly regained consciousness and attempted to punch Weaver, only to be stopped by a sharp pain in his back. His wounds had yet to fully heal. He quickly directed his attention to Relena, whom he barely managed to protect and calmed down, before attempting to wake her. Eventually Relena finally opened her eyes and got to her feet.

After searching for injuries, the group salvaged every remaining item on the shuttle before exiting the wreckage. However, nothing could have prepared them for the sight spread before them.

Every mile of their surroundings was covered in featureless sand dunes and rock formations. The desolate landscape stretched farther than the eye could see and there was no sign of water, sentient lifeforms or civilization anywhere. Austin, Weaver, and Relena were all speechless as they gazed upon the wasteland surrounding the remains of Shuttle ICARUS.

Heero simply removed a pair of binoculars from his rucksack, and searched the area. Unfortunately, he was unable to locate any sign of life. Just when Heero was about to replace the binoculars, his ears caught wind of a low growl in the distance. It sounded like the braying of a donkey, but it came at a lower pitch.

Realizing the potential danger, Heero replaced the binoculars and removed a Standard Issue Heckler and Koch MK23 SOCOM .45 ACP, and a Colt M4A1 SOPMOD assault rifle with an attached scope. Upon loading both weapons, he holstered the pistol, before refueling the assault rifle's gas chamber, and slinging it over his shoulder. Then, he cautiously ran to the others.

"We're being ambushed." he whispered. Upon hearing this, Austin and Weaver removed their paralyzer pistols from their holsters. Meanwhile, Relena removed a Walther CCP from her handbag. She then loaded and cocked the gun before holding it in the ready position.

"Do you always carry a pistol with you?" Heero questioned. Relena to rolled her eyes.

"Milliardo insisted. And besides, just because I'm a pacifist doesn't mean I won't defend myself." she retorted before attempting to scan the area.

Suddenly, Heero noticed an unusual creature heading straight in their direction. It was an elephant-sized quadrupedal mammal covered in shaggy brown fur, with a wide mouth, spiraling horns, a long tail, and feet which could easily trample a person. However, this became the least of Heero's concerns because as it approached, Heero noticed a humanoid creature n mounted on it. This creature was covered from head to toe in desert-colored rags and robes, while its face was concealed by a bandage-like mask along with disconnected metallic goggles and an open mouthpiece. A series of small horns were barely visible on top of its head, while it carried a long rifle similar to a musket, and a metallic pole weapon bent into an L shape, with a spike on one end and a club head on the other, both of which were slung over its shoulder.

This confused Heero, as he knew it was unlikely that anything would travel through such desolate terrain alone. This of course changed when twenty identical creatures appeared behind it. Heero was impressed as he noticed their strategy. By riding in single file, these humanoids would disguise their numbers, thus outwitting their opponents through surprise attacks, while using their knowledge of the terrain to their advantage.

As the humanoids approached, thirteen of them dismounted, pole-arms in hand, while the others relocated near a rock formation before they too dismounted and drew their rifles.

Having seen everything through the scope, Heero knew exactly what was coming. As such, he quickly alerted the others. The thirteen humanoids snuck towards the crew, before Heero fired a warning shot in their direction.

This did little more than infuriate the humanoids as they released a battle cry of fury, and ran towards them. Meanwhile the eight behind the rock formation opened fire, forcing the group to find cover behind the wreckage.

Knowing Austin was in no condition to fight, Weaver repeatedly fired her own pistol at the approaching humanoids, while Heero used his assault rifle to provide covering fire, As a result three of the humanoids were paralyzed, and two of the snipers were killed. As one approached Relena, she fired her pistol, only to miss three times before she finally managed to land a direct hit, killing the humanoid instantly.

Devastated by the trauma of killing a sapient being, Relena stared in shock at the fallen creature, before she felt several tears fall from her eyes. However, she carefully brushed her tears aside, knowing that there was nothing more she could have done.

However, as the creatures continued to advance, the crew began to run out of options. Despite killing four of the snipers and five melee troops, while paralyzing six others, the odds were still against them. Austin drew his paralyzer pistol and barely managed to paralyze two more.

"There's too many of them! We can't hold them off forever!" Weaver shouted feeling beads of sweat trickle down her forehead.

Austin managed to hold his own, but his broken arm had become a severe disadvantage. Faced with few other options he quickly turned to Heero.

"Heero, you need to get Relena out of here! We'll hold them off as long as we can." he shouted.

"Are you insane? You'll die if we leave you." Relena responded. Heero shook his head.

"She's right. Besides I'm not going anywhere. If we concentrate our firepower, there is still a chance that we can survive this." he yelled. But Austin would not budge.

"There's no time for that. If the Vice Foreign Minister is to survive, you must get her to safety." Weaver retorted. Austin walked over to Heero before saying.

"Heero, I know that we got off on the wrong foot, but after all this, I want you to know that I am sorry for the way I treated you. Weaver and I have spent years fighting for the alliance. As of now, we are not going down without a fight." Heero and Relena sighed and reluctantly obliged. Heero removed a smoke grenade from his rucksack and passed it to Austin, before giving his assault rifle and spare ammunition to Weaver.

"Use them well." he ordered.

"Thank you." Relena replied with tears in her eyes. She took one final look at Austin and Weaver, before she and Heero took off running as far as their legs could carry them.

Austin glanced at the retreating figures of Relena and Heero, before turning his attention to Weaver.

"Sgt. Weaver, it has been an honor serving with you."

Weaver saluted in response before throwing her own paralyzer pistol to the ground, as Austin detonated the smoke grenade, thereby covering Heero and Relena's escape. Both were now ready to make their stand.

Weaver released a hail of bullets from the assault rifle while Austin fired his paralyzer pistol repeatedly at the oncoming humanoids.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Winds of Destiny**_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own _Mobile Suit Gundam Wing_ or _Star Wars_. All rights go to respective owners.**

( _Italicized quotes represent Heero's_ thoughts)

 **Chapter 4: Survival of the Fittest**

As Heero and Relena ran through the endless desert, they continued to hear the sound of gunfire, which echoed in the distance. Putting as much distance between themselves and the battlefield, as possible, they trekked further into the wasteland.

"Heero, what were those creatures?" Relena questioned. Although she was well aware that Heero would not have the answer to her question, she felt inclined to hear what he could decipher.

Heero sighed. Feelings of guilt clouded his mind as he calmly replied. "Judging by their appearance and use of rudimentary guerrilla tactics, they appear to be native scavengers or even bandits. Either that, or simple natives trying to defend their territory. Either way, shooting at them certainly didn't help the situation. It was supposed to scare them off. Instead, I did the exact opposite and angered them. With the fight we just gave them, it is unlikely we've seen the last of them. Then again, I am not sure if they will try to follow us, all things considered."

They continued their search for any form of shelter. Soon, it was nearly dusk and the planet's second sun could be seen over the horizon. Suddenly, Relena spotted a lone rock formation in the distance. Upon further inspection, they decided to set up camp for the night. Heero promptly removed a small stack of firewood from his rucksack. This surprised Relena at first, but she promptly considered how often she and Heero wound up in similar situations, thus proving the need for such preparations. As such, she quickly brushed aside her confusion, before unrolling two portable futons and placing them on the ground.

Upon lighting the fire, Heero removed a small bag of MREs (Meal, Ready to Eat) and handed a packet to Relena. Then he began searching through his rucksack.

"We are going to need plenty of rest for tomorrow morning. As far as I am aware, we only have enough rations and medical supplies for six days. Water and ammunition aren't looking any better. Even then, with all those bandits out there, we'll be lucky to last a day."

Just as the words left his mouth, Relena donned a concerned expression. One question resting at the back of her mind.

"How long is a day?"

Heero was at a loss for words upon hearing this. This whole time, he was so focused on surviving, that he completely overlooked this factor. For all they knew, a day on this planet could be around thirty or even forty-eight hours. Irrelevant as this may seem, they would be unable to plan ahead, thus increasing the risk of certain death.

"There's no point dwelling on that question, at this rate. Right now, all we can do is wait until morning. Until then, we should get some rest. I'll take the first watch." Heero replied as they opened their MRE packets and ingested the contents.

Upon finishing, Relena fell into a state of insomnia on her futon, while Heero scouted the surrounding area, pistol at the ready. An ominous breeze blew in the distance as Heero refused to let his guard down. All thoughts were forced into the back of his mind. However, several strays burst through his walls. At that very moment, Heero was greeted by the last thing he would expect. Standing before him, was a young man identical to Heero in every way. Staring at his counterpart, the figure spoke.

 _"This is all your fault. If you had just been more persistent, none of this would have happened. To make matters worse, you foolishly provoked a group of natives. How much longer can you keep this_ up?"

Heero could do nothing more than stare at the figure, shocked beyond belief.

"Who are you?"

The figure simply laughed.

 _"Don't ask what you already know. I'm you. For some reason, you haven't been listening to me since last year. Despite my best efforts, I cannot find a logical reason to explain why you could be so foolish to the point of trusting a pacifist. She is nothing more than a naive little girl who wouldn't know the the concept of war if it hit her in the face."_

"That's not true and you know it. Relena has been through more than enough to understand. She has dealt with the turmoil and consequences of war since she was a child."

 _"Who cares anymore? Don't tell me you've been going soft? Whatever happened to 'Emotions are for the weak?' You're supposed to be the 'Perfect Soldier.' That girl shouldn't be worth the dirt you stand on."_

Heero was furious. If this weren't his own subconscious he would have beaten the man to death.

"You don't know what you're talking about. I was taught to act on my emotions, not dismiss them."

 _"How could I not? I'm you, remember? Weren't these your thoughts at one point or another? Do you really think that you could possibly belong in a peaceful world?"_

These words left Heero mortified. He tried to speak, but no words came out. Instead he briefly closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When he reopened them, the figure was gone.

Desperate to calm himself, Heero took a swig from his canteen, before continuing his patrol.

When the first sun rose, Heero and Relena packed up their supplies, and continued their journey.

Over the next five days, the two would follow the same routine. In order to ration their supplies, they would only survive on a single MRE packet every day. As such, they managed to surpass Heero's original expectations.

Unfortunately, this did not last. After ten days, their rations dwindled and their water became increasingly scarce.

Heero's training allowed him to survive without sleep for extended periods of time. However, even the most well trained soldiers could only take so much.

Relena, on the other hand, could not handle the trauma of killing someone in cold blood. She would relive the experience every night, to the point where the acrid smell of gunpowder still lingered, within her nostrils. Her outright refusal to discuss this with Heero only made the situation worse.

Soon, the two were drenched in sweat, and could barely stand. Only their sheer determination kept them from losing consciousness.

As they neared a steep gorge, Relena spotted an unusual vehicle speeding within the vicinity. However, despite her best efforts, she was unable to speak, much less call for help. Soon, everything went black as she and Heero collapsed from exhaustion, heatstroke, dehydration, and malnutrition.


End file.
